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Resident doctors in England have commenced a six-day strike starting at 07:00 BST on Tuesday, marking their 15th action in an ongoing dispute concerning pay conditions. This industrial action is anticipated to cause considerable disruption across NHS services, given that resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, constitute nearly half of the medical workforce.
To manage urgent care during the strike, senior doctors are stepping in to cover emergency cases, but this reallocation has inevitably resulted in the cancellation of some pre-scheduled treatments and appointments. The decision to strike follows unsuccessful negotiations between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government last month.
One individual impacted by the strike is Adrian Emery, 55, from Nottinghamshire. After experiencing several transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) in January, which have affected his hearing, he was due for a follow-up telephone consultation to review his medication and discuss his condition with a specialist. Originally rescheduled for mid-June, this appointment has now been cancelled without a new date. “I’m very worried, because my grandfather actually had a very serious stroke. I hope I don’t have a full stroke before I am seen,” he told BBC News.
Despite pay rises amounting to 33% over the last four years, the BMA asserts that resident doctors are effectively earning 20% less than they did in 2008 after adjusting for inflation. Dr. Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctor committee, expressed regret over the impact of the strike on patients, stating, “It’s very regrettable and I am very sorry to any patients who are affected by this industrial action.” However, he defended the demands for improved pay as reasonable, given past pay erosion and expected further inflation linked to global factors like the Iran war. Fletcher added that such strike action could have been avoided had the government been open to negotiations, emphasizing, “We are not asking for pay restoration overnight.”
From the government’s perspective, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson characterized their offer to resident doctors as a “generous deal” and expressed disappointment that the BMA proceeded with industrial action. The focus is now on protecting patients, staff, and the NHS by minimizing service disruption during the strike. Public sentiment appears divided, with recent polling indicating 53% opposition to the strikes and 38% support.
The breakdown stemmed from a government package proposed last month, designed to resolve the conflict but which the BMA criticized for last-minute dilution. The offer included coverage for out-of-pocket expenses such as exam fees, accelerated pay progression through the five salary bands of training, and an increase in specialty training posts following the second year after graduation. However, following the strike announcement, the government withdrew plans to create 1,000 new posts expected this summer, despite a significant oversubscription of last year’s 10,000 available positions. The government continues to maintain a firm stance against further pay negotiations, asserting that resident doctors have already received some of the most generous public sector pay increases, including a recent 3.5% uplift as part of the annual pay review.
Starting salaries for resident doctors are currently just above £40,000, with senior doctors earning a base pay of up to £76,500, not including additional payments for unsocial hours or extra work. The government disputes the claim that pay has dropped by a fifth since 2008, arguing that the measure used by the BMA, the Retail Price Index (RPI), tends to be higher than other inflation indices. However, the BMA considers this metric appropriate as it is also employed by the government to calculate interest on student loans.
Parallel to the doctors’ strike, members of the GMB union, which includes administrative staff, press officers, and negotiators, are also conducting a two-day strike over pay disputes. Offered a 2.75% pay raise this year, these workers claim their wages have fallen 17% since 2012 once inflation is factored in
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